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Consonant sounds.

A consonant letter usually represents one consonant sound. Some consonant letters, for example, c, g, s, can represent two different consonant sounds.

There are 44 sounds (19 + 25) that make up the sounds of our English language. 19 of the sounds we refer to as vowel sounds (because they use the vowels a, e, i, o, u or make the sounds of our vowels). 25 of the sounds we refer to as consonant sounds. 

 

What makes them different from each other?

Here we have the answer:

 

a) Place of articulation.

b) Manner of artculation.

c) voicing.

Place of articulation.

Here we have the first classification for the consonant sounds.

The place of articulation is the point where the airstream is obstructed. 

 

Bilabial: The point of maximum constriction is made by the coming together of the two lips. 

 

Consonants: /m/, /p/, /b/, /w/.

 

 

Labiodentals: The lower lip articulates with the upper teeth. 

 

Consonants: /f/, /v/.

 

 

Interdentals:The tip and blade of the tongue articulates with the upper front teeth.

 

Consonants: /θ/, /ð/.

 

 

Alveolar: The alveolar ridge joins the tip or blade of teh tongue.

 

Consonants: /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/, /r/.

 

 

Alveopalatal: The hard palate is involved her with the front of the tongue.

 

Consonants: /ʃ/, /Ê’/, /tʃ/, /dÊ’/, /j/.

 

 

Velar: Here, the soft palate joins the back of the tongue.

 

Consonants: /Å‹/, /k/, /g/.

 

 

Glottal:These sounds are made by the epiglottis.

 

Consonants: /h/.

 

 

Manner of articulation refers to the nature of the obstruction of pulmonary air flow. 

 

Plosive or Stops: stop consonants occur when the vocal tract is closed completely, but for stops the airflow isn't redirected through the nose.  Instead, the air quickly builds up pressure behind the articulators and then releases in a burst.  

 

Consonants: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/.

 

 

Nasals: nasal consonants are created when you completely block air flow through your mouth and let the air pass through your nose.  

 

Consonants: /m/, /n/, /Å‹/.

 

 

Affricative: The Affricate consonants start as stops with air building up behind an articulator which then releases through a narrow channel as a fricative (instead of a clean burst as stops do).

 

Consonants: /tʃ/, /dÊ’/.

 

 

 

Fricative: fricative sounds involve only a partial blockage of the vocal tract so that air has to be forced through a narrow channel.

 

Consonants: /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /h/, /s/, /z/,  /ʃ/, /Ê’/.

 

 

 

Approximants: Approximants are created when two articulators come close together but not quite close enough to create air turbulence.

 

Consonants: /r/, /w/, /j/.

 

 

Laterals: Lateral consonants are created when the tongue blocks the the middle of your mouth so that air has to pass around the sides.

 

Consonant: /l/.

 

Manner of articulation.

Here we have the second classification for the consonant sounds.

Voicing

Here we have the third classification for the consonant sounds.

According to the level of vibration of the vocal cords, consonants are classified into two groups: voiced, and voiceless.

 

 

Voiced: The vocal folds may be held against each other at just the right tension so that the air flowing past them from the lungs will cause them to vibrate against each other.

 

Consonants: 

/z/, /b/, /g/, /v/, /d/, /ð/, /w/, /j/, /l/,

/r/, /m/, /n/, /Å‹/,/Ê’/, /dÊ’/.

 

 

Voiceless: Sounds made without vocal fold vibration.

 

Consonants: /s/, /p/, /k/, /f/, /t/, /θ/, /h/,/ʃ/, /tʃ/,.

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